Stories about Arts & Culture from August, 2012
Athens: Virtual Community Initiative Under the Acropolis
Shop owners on picturesque Pandrosou street in Plaka, Athens, have started a virtual community initiative with a blog and Facebook page. They aim to “rebrand the image of Greece into one that reflects collaborative cooperation, innovation...
Russia: Church, Lies, & Opulence
A controversial photo blog post recently documented the 70th jubilee of the director of a Church-owned factory, striking a raw nerve in a society charged by the Pussy Riot trial. The details of the affair speak to the ease of creating a narrative through the withholding of information -- particularly online.
Venezuela: Flirtatious ‘Joropo’ of the Plains
Of the musical genres that constitute the folklore of the plains of Venezuela, the joropo has long been the most characteristic of this part of the country. This type of music and dance come from the broad flat areas of Venezuela, where the prevalent culture is closely related to the land and livestock.
Dominican Republic: Changes in the Publishing Industry
Writer and blogger Pedro Cabiya analyzes [es] and comments on the transformation of the publishing industry.
Puerto Rico: Urban Artists “La Pandilla”
El Punto features [es] the amazing urban street art by Alexis Díaz and Juan Fernández from Puerto Rico, AKA “La Pandilla.”
Puerto Rico: Festival of the Hammock
Auralís Herrero-Lugo writes about her trip [es] with a group of friends to the town of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, to go to the famous 32nd Festival of the Hammock, a...
North Korea: First Lady Spotted With A Luxury, ‘Dior’ Handbag
North Korea’s young first lady was pictured carrying what appears to be a Christian Dior handbag which costs around USD 1,600. While international media lashed hard at the luxury in...
South Korea: Driving Force and Little-Known Facts Behind its Olympic Success
The Korea and the World blog published a detailed analysis on South Korea's good results in the 2012 London Olympics, pointing out Koreans’ strong patriotism as one of the main reasons for success.
Russia: Pussy Riot Doomed by its own Supporters?
Recent online coverage of the Pussy Riot trial makes it seem as if all of Russia is mobilized in protest against the inordinately harsh treatment the three arrested band members have received. In fact, many well-wishing bloggers continue to aggravate Riot's predicament by advocating leniency, rather than arguing with the entire premise of punishment.
Georgia: War Photography
Just before today's fourth anniversary of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War, Georgian Photographers features a post accompanied by photos from George Tsagareli on documenting conflict in the Caucasus.
Jordan: “When Monaliza Smiled” a step towards World Cinema
The makers of the movie “When Monaliza Smiled” presented their cinema experience to the public in a special screening in the Jordanian capital, Amman, recently. The comedy relates a love story between Monaliza, a young Jordanian woman, and Hamdi, the Egyptian courier. Jordanian bloggers react to the movie.
Video: No Pool? No Problem! Creative Solutions to Beat the Heat
The hot summer in the Northern hemisphere is forcing many people to seek ways in which to escape the high temperatures or get some relief. These next images and videos show how with creativity and ingenuity, people young and old find ways in which to beat the heat.
Macedonia: Devastation of Skopje Aqueduct Continues
On Facebook and on her blog, archeologist Vasilka Dimitrovska shared recent photos by Toni Mandzukovski, raising the alarm about the continuous destruction of the ancient Skopje Aqueduct, neglected by the...
UK: Taking on ‘Brandalism’
The collectively maintained website Brandalism presents an ever-growing collection of street art. The project is inspired “from the Dadaists, Situationists and Street Art movements” and its goal is to “see...
Video: Dreaming of the Olympics in Colombia
The short film "Speed" by student Esteban Barros from Barranquilla, Colombia, shows an Olympic hopeful's dream of competing in the Olympics. Will hard effort, good results and perseverance be enough to get him to the competition? Watch the subtitled two minute video and find out.
Mexico: Ranchera Singer Chavela Vargas Dies
Ranchera singer Chavela Vargas, born in Costa Rica but of Mexican nationality, died on the afternoon of August 5 after respiratory arrest at the age of 93. After learning the news, various netizens from Mexico and other countries published their condolences under the hashtag 'Murió Chavela Vargas' ("Chavela Vargas has died").
Netizens Say Goodbye to Singer Chavela Vargas
“Murió Chavela Vargas” (“Chavela Vargas has died”) is currently a worldwide Trending Topic on Twitter. Netizens from all over the world are saying goodbye the Costa Rican-born Mexican singer Chavela...
Russia: Graffiti Festival in Kazan
Bloggers celebrate the recent conclusion of the “Like It. Art.” graffiti art festival in Kazan, which was co-financed by the local municipal government, along with funds from telecommunications company Beeline...
Europe: Dutch Designer Tells Visual Stories on the Crisis
Portuguese journalist Ana Maria Henriques interviews [pt] Noortje van Eekelen (@spectragedy) the Dutch designer who created The Spectacle of the Tragedy, a blog that “tells a visual story about the...
Venezuela: Culture of the Plains on the Internet
To know the culture of the Venezuelan plains, one needs to get to know their citizen media. With this post we start a series on the Venezuelan plains and their culture on the Internet. In this first installment we share an overview of the territory and its culture, and present some citizen media on the subject.
Puerto Rico: Blogger's Book Doesn't Shy Away From a Good Brawl
"Reyerta TV" (Brawl TV) is a short story collection written by Puerto Rican writer and blogger Juanluis Ramos. It is a wonderful collection of grainy, technicolored, pop-culture inspired windows into fully realized worlds that revel in television's classic tropes.
